If you’re a Chess player in New Jersey, this guide is for you. Below you’ll find helpful resources with links so you can connect with other Chess players around you.
Chess in New Jersey
Chess is a game that is played across the state of New Jersey by enthusiasts both young and old. There is also great diversity within the New Jersey chess community in terms of the many backgrounds that the state’s players come from. The following resources are designed to assist New Jersey’s chess-playing community to connect with others across the state who share their love for the game.
Chess Players In New Jersey
So what is New Jersey’s Chess scene like?
There are a lot of chess players currently enjoying the game in the state of New Jersey. The leading organization that promotes chess in New Jersey is the New Jersey State Chess Federation. The organization promotes the game of chess and provides many key resources for those who play chess in New Jersey. This includes a listing of upcoming chess tournaments as well as a listing of chess clubs that are active in the state.
Organizations like the New Jersey State Chess Federation are a key part of the vibrant chess scene in New Jersey that includes players ranging from lifelong enthusiasts to scholastic players that are discovering the benefits of chess.
Grandmasters In New Jersey
New Jersey is home to many outstanding chess players who hold prestigious distinctions within the game. The worldwide chess community was recently paying close attention to the state of New Jersey as 12-year-old Abhimanyu Mishra became the youngest Chess Grandmaster in the world.
The New Jersey resident has been on the chess radar for a while now and has even challenged World Champion Magnus Carlsen for his title back in 2016. He became the world’s youngest Chess Grandmaster in 2021 at an event in Budapest, Hungary. Though Abhimanyu Mishra is probably the most well-known New Jersey chess player, others are also highly ranked.
Other highly ranked New Jersey chess players include National Masters such as John Michael Burke, Alexander Stripunsky, Joel Benjamin, and Brandon Jacobson, to name just a few.
New Jersey Chess Clubs
The following are some of the best New Jersey chess clubs and groups to check out.
Hoboken Chess – Hoboken Chess is a chess club that provides great opportunities for Hoboken area residents to meet up with others who love the game. The club sponsors both adult and children’s programs, holds a social chess night, and puts on its own chess tournaments. The social night takes place on Wednesdays from 6 to 10 pm and there is basic instruction for beginnings from 6 to 7 pm. From 4 to 6 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, Hoboken Chess puts on its program for children.
Beachwood/Toms River Chess Club – The club meets from 7 to 11 pm on Thursdays at the Toms River Municipal Building.
The Newark Chess Club – A chess club that promotes the game across the greater Newark area.
The Meetup Group for the Northern New Jersey Chess Enthusiasts – This meetup group is based out of Pompton Lakes, NY and provides an opportunity for area residents to share their mutual love of the game.
The West Orange Chess Club – This chess club has been organizing tournaments as well as casual chess play since 1978.
The New Jersey State Chess Federation’s Club Listing
New Jersey Chess Tournaments
If you are looking to get in on some amazing chess tournaments in the state of New Jersey, these are some of the top ones to check out.
Annual New Jersey Open Championship – This U.S. Chess Junior Grand Prix is generally held from the 4th to the 6th of September.
New Jersey K-12 Grade Championship – This scholastic chess tournament is generally held on the 21st of November.
New Jersey Scholastic K-8 Championship – This is a state scholastic championship that is generally held on the 4th of September.
The NJ Representative for the U.S. Senior Championship – This is the tournament that determines the state of New Jersey’s representative and alternates for the United States Senior Championships.
The New Jersey State Chess Federation’s Tournament Listing
New Jersey Chess Shops
When you are looking for a new chess set in the state of New Jersey, it is always helpful to know about some of the best spots to head to. The following shops are among the best places in the state when it comes to purchasing chess products.
Manifest Comics – This is a comics and gaming shop located in Bayonne, NJ that is known for its incredible selection of tabletop games. It is a great place for chess enthusiasts in the area the check out.
Side Scrollers – Side Scrollers in East Rutherford, NJ is known as a game shop with friendly staff members and an outstanding selection of game options that include chess.
Tier One Games – If you are looking for chess supplies in the River Edge area of New Jersey, it is worth your time to check out Tier One Games.
Top Deck Games – Area board game lovers claim that Top Deck Games is the best spot in Haddon Township, NJ. This is a great place to check out for your next chess set.
Further Resources
These are some additional resources that should prove to be helpful for those that are interested in finding out more about chess in New Jersey.
- Chess.com
- FIDE – The International Chess Federation
- The New Jersey State Chess Federation
- The Official Facebook Page for the New Jersey State Chess Federation
- The Official Twitter Feed for the New Jersey State Chess Federation
- The United States Chess Federation
If this post on New Jersey Chess helped you, you might also be interested in reading more about Chess in the United States or a specific state like Texas or California.